Scale Up TT launches new cohort amid export growth push

The Trinidad and Tobago Unit Trust Corporation (UTC) is continuing its support for the Scale Up TT Scalerator programme, a business expansion initiative aimed at accelerating the growth of local companies and increasing non-energy exports. The program, now in its sixth cohort, has supported 53 local businesses since its 2020 launch, which organizers report have collectively generated over $600 million in revenue and sustained nearly 2,000 jobs.

Neville Alexander, Deputy Permanent Secretary Designate in the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism, emphasized the program's critical role in Trinidad and Tobago's economic transformation. He stated that Scale Up TT is an investment in national competitiveness, helping businesses scale faster, improve productivity, and access international markets. This, he noted, builds a foundation for sustainable economic growth and increased foreign exchange earnings. Small and medium-sized enterprises, which form the vast majority of registered businesses and employ a significant portion of the workforce, are central to this long-term strategy.

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Scale Up TT is not merely a business development programme; it is an investment in the future competitiveness of our nation. By helping businesses scale faster, become more productive, and access international markets, we are building the foundation for sustainable economic growth and increased foreign exchange generation.

UTC executive director Nigel Edwards highlighted the program's alignment with the corporation's mandate to foster economic development. He explained that Scale Up TT extends the UTC's mission beyond individual investors to supporting businesses that create jobs, drive innovation, and strengthen the economy. The program's objective is to help ambitious business owners achieve real, sustainable growth, moving beyond incremental progress to embrace transformational change.

Daniel Isenberg, CEO of Entrepreneurship Policy Advisors, noted the program's importance as Trinidad and Tobago intensifies efforts to boost non-energy exports. The Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism has set ambitious targets, aiming for an additional $2 billion in non-energy exports by 2027 and $5 billion by 2030. Scale Up TT is recognized as a crucial vehicle for achieving these export goals.

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Through Scale Up TT, we extend our mission beyond individual investors to the businesses that are creating jobs, driving innovation, and strengthening our economy. Scale Up TT was created with a simple but powerful objective: to help ambitious business owners achieve real, sustainable growth. Since the introduction of the Scalerator programme to Trinidad and Tobago in 2020, the programme has become an important platform for entrepreneurs who are ready to move beyond incremental progress and embrace transformational growth.